Nokia Denies Claims Its Re-entering The Smartphone Business

Nokia has denied claims that rocked the media last week that it plans on re-entering the Smartphone business with an android device. The company which just last week announced plans to acquire Alcatel-Lucent for $16 Billion, posted a statement on its website calling the reports false and incorrect. “Nokia notes recent news reports claiming the company communicated an intention to manufacture consumer handsets out of a R&D facility in China. These reports are false, and include comments incorrectly attributed to a Nokia Networks executive”, said the Statement.

Nokia sold its Mobile business to Microsoft last year for $7.2 Billion. Microsoft has since re-branded the business to Microsoft Mobile. Nokia is currently looking for a suitor to its mapping division called Here Maps. Nokia also added that it has no plans to manufacture or sell consumer handsets. On selling its mobile division to Microsoft, Nokia signed an agreement that restricts use its brand on phones until Q4 2016.

In November 2014, Nokia surprised the Tech world with the N1 Android tablet. Sporting classic Nokia design, high end specs and running Androids Lollipop, the N1 has already been dubbed as the iPad killer. This was later followed by rumors of of a new smartphone called the Nokia C1, a dual OS device. The dual OS ability of the phone allowed Nokia to bypass terms of the agreement that it could not launch any other device. The production of the device was to be outsourced to a Chinese ODM, possibly Foxconn.